Fan duct and heat dissipation device using the same

ABSTRACT

A fan duct includes a fan duct body and an airflow guiding plate connecting with the fan duct body. The fan duct has an air inlet for airflow flowing into the fan duct, and an air outlet for airflow exhausting out of the fan duct. One end of the airflow guiding plate connects the fan duct body near the air inlet, and the other end of the airflow guiding plate can be fixed at different positions of the fan duct body.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a fan duct capable of engaging with different heat sinks, and a heat dissipation device using the fan duct.

2. Description of Related Art

A typical heat dissipation device includes a heat sink thermally contacting an electronic device, and a fan disposed near the heat sink. In order to improve the efficiency of utilization of airflow generated from the fan, a fan duct is covered over the heat sink to guide airflow from the fan to the heat sink. However, in order to match different electronic devices, different sizes of heat sinks are needed. Different sizes of fan ducts need to be provided to match the different sizes of heat sinks, resulting in increased manufacturing costs.

What is needed, therefore, is a fan duct and a heat dissipation device using the fan duct which can overcome the limitations described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a heat dissipation device in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric, assembled view of a heat dissipation device in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a heat dissipation device in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure is provided for cooling an electronic device 32 mounted on a circuit board 30. The heat dissipation device comprises a heat sink 10, and a fan duct 20 covering the heat sink 10.

Also referring to FIG. 2, the heat sink 10 includes a heat conducting plate 12 thermally contacting the electronic device 32, a fin assembly 16 disposed on the heat conducting plate 12, and four heat pipes 18 thermally connecting the heat conducting plate 12 and the fin assembly 16. The fin assembly 16 includes a plurality of fins 162 stacked together. Each fin 162 is made of metal such as aluminum, copper or an alloy thereof. The fins 162 are spaced from each other, and each two adjacent fins 162 form an airflow channel (not labeled) therebetween.

The fan duct 20 can be made of a material such as plastic, and includes a fan duct body 21 and an airflow guiding plate 23. The fan duct body 21 includes a top plate 22, and two side plates 24 extending perpendicular downwardly from two opposite lateral sides of the top plate 22. A distance between the two side plates 24 is substantially equal to a width of the heat sink 10. The heat sink 10 is located between the two side plates 24. A rectangular through hole 220 is defined in an end of the top plate 22. The heat sink 10 is mounted in the fan duct 20 away from the through hole 220 of the top plate 22. The airflow guiding plate 23 is mounted in the fan duct 20 near the through hole 220 of the top plate 22. The fan duct body 21 has an air inlet 25 near the through hole 220 for air to flow into the fan duct 20, and an air outlet 26 away from the through hole 220 for airflow to exhaust from the fan duct 20. A pair of opposing pivot holes 240 are respectively defined in joints of the top plate 22 and the side plates 24, respectively. The pivot holes 240 are located between the through hole 220 and the air inlet 25. Four spaced circular positioning holes 242 are defined in each side plate 24 of the fan duct 20 near the heat sink 10. The four positioning holes 242 are arranged in each side plate 24 along an arc-shaped path. Each positioning hole 242 of one side plate 24 is aligned with a corresponding one of the positioning holes 242 of the other side plate 24 along a horizontal direction, to thereby form four pairs of positioning holes 242 corresponding to four different heights of heat sinks.

The airflow guiding plate 23 includes a rectangular body 232 located between the side plates 24, a pivot 234 extending horizontally outwardly from an edge of one end of the body 232, and two buckles 236 extending perpendicularly downwardly from edges of the other end of the body 232. A circular protrusion 237 protrudes outward from each buckle 236. The body 232 of the airflow guiding plate 23 has an area a little larger than the through hole 220 of the top plate 22. The pivot 234 of the airflow guiding plate 23 is pivotedly connected in the pivot holes 240, so that the airflow guiding plate 23 can rotate around the pivot 234 in the fan duct 20. The protrusions 237 of the buckles 236 are buckled in the topmost pair of positioning holes 242 of the side plates 24 to fix the airflow guiding plate 23 on the fan duct body 21 of the fan duct 20. Thus the body 232 of the airflow guiding plate 23 abuts a top of the heat sink 10 to guide airflow toward the heat sink 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, when the heat sink 10 is replaced with a heat sink 10 a of a smaller height, the airflow guiding plate 23 is rotated downwardly around the pivot 234, and the protrusions 237 of the buckles 236 are buckled in another pair of positioning holes 242 in the side plates 24. Thus the body 232 of the airflow guiding plate 23 abuts a top of the heat sink 10 a to guide airflow toward the heat sink 10 a.

According to the disclosure, the airflow guiding plate 23 can be adjusted to fix at different positions of the fan duct 20, whereby the fan duct 20 can match different heat sinks of various heights. Accordingly, the cost of manufacturing different heat dissipation devices can be reduced.

It is believed that the embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention. 

1. A fan duct comprising: a fan duct body defining an air inlet for airflow to enter the fan duct and an air outlet for airflow to exhaust from the fan duct; and an airflow guiding plate, one end of the airflow guiding plate near the air inlet pivotedly connecting the fan duct body, an opposite end of the airflow guiding plate away from the air inlet capable of being detachably fixed at different positions of the fan duct body.
 2. The fan duct of claim 1, wherein the fan duct body comprises a top plate and two side plates extending downwardly from two opposite lateral sides of the top plate, a pair of opposing pivot holes being respectively defined in the two side plates, the airflow guiding plate comprising a body located between the side plates, and a pivot extending outwardly from one end of the body, the pivot being pivotedly connected in the pivot holes of the side plates.
 3. The fan duct of claim 2, wherein the pivot holes are respectively defined in joints of the top plate and the side plates.
 4. The fan duct of claim 2, wherein a plurality of positioning holes are defined in each of the side plates, each positioning hole of one side plate being aligned with a corresponding one of the positioning holes of the other side plate along a horizontal direction, to thereby form a plurality of pairs of positioning holes corresponding to different heights, the airflow guiding plate further comprising two buckles extending from the other end of the body, the buckles being buckled in one of the pairs of positioning holes of the side plates.
 5. The fan duct of claim 4, wherein a protrusion protrudes outward from each buckle of the airflow guiding plate, the protrusion being buckled in a corresponding positioning hole of the side plate.
 6. The fan duct of claim 4, wherein the positioning holes are arranged in each side plate as an arc-shape.
 7. The fan duct of claim 2, wherein the top plate defines a through hole in an end thereof, the airflow guiding plate being mounted in the fan duct body near the through hole of the top plate.
 8. The fan duct of claim 7, wherein the body of the airflow guiding plate has an area larger than the through hole of the top plate.
 9. The fan duct of claim 7, wherein the pivot holes are located between the through hole of the top plate and the air inlet.
 10. The fan duct of claim 7, wherein the air inlet is located near the through hole of the top plate, and the air outlet is located away from the through hole of the top plate.
 11. A heat dissipation device comprising: a heat sink; and a fan duct comprising: a fan duct body defining an air inlet for airflow to enter the fan duct and an air outlet for airflow to exhaust from the fan duct; and an airflow guiding plate, one end of the airflow guiding plate near the air inlet pivotedly connecting the fan duct body, an opposite end of the airflow guiding plate away from the air inlet capable of being detachably fixed at different positions of the fan duct body to selectively match not only the height of the heat sink but also one or more other heights of one or more other heat sinks.
 12. The heat dissipation device of claim 11, wherein the fan duct body comprises a top plate and two side plates extending downwardly from two opposite lateral sides of the top plate, the heat sink being located between the two side plates, a pair of opposing pivot holes being respectively defined in the two side plates, the airflow guiding plate comprising a body located between the side plates, and a pivot extending outwardly from one end of the body, the pivot being pivotedly connected in the pivot holes of the side plates, the other end of the body of the airflow guiding plate abutting the heat sink.
 13. The heat dissipation device of claim 12, wherein a distance between the two side plates is substantially equal to a width of the heat sink.
 14. The heat dissipation device of claim 12, wherein the pivot holes are respectively defined in joints of the top plate and the side plates.
 15. The heat dissipation device of claim 12, wherein a plurality of positioning holes are defined in each of the side plates, each positioning hole of one side plate being aligned with a corresponding one of the positioning holes of the other side plate along a horizontal direction, to thereby form a plurality of pairs of positioning holes corresponding to different heights, the airflow guiding plate further comprising two buckles extending from the other end of the body, the buckles being buckled in one of the pairs of positioning holes of the side plates.
 16. The heat dissipation device of claim 15, wherein a protrusion protrudes outward from each buckle of the airflow guiding plate, the protrusion being buckled in a corresponding positioning hole of the side plate.
 17. The heat dissipation device of claim 15, wherein the positioning holes are arranged in each side plate as an arc-shape.
 18. The heat dissipation device of claim 12, wherein the top plate defines a through hole in an end thereof, the airflow guiding plate being mounted in the fan duct body near the through hole of the top plate.
 19. The heat dissipation device of claim 18, wherein the body of the airflow guiding plate has an area larger than the through hole of the top plate.
 20. The heat dissipation device of claim 18, wherein the pivot holes are located between the through hole of the top plate and the air inlet. 